1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment and more specifically to a multi-exercise gym system for use in the home.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, strength training of the upper torso has been accomplished using a number of different exercise motions using either free weights, such as dumbbells and barbells, or using multiple exercise machines to facilitate the various exercise motions. For example, three common exercise motions using free weights that have long been popular for exercising the chest are the bench press, the dumbbell press, and the dumbbell fly. In the bench press, an exerciser lies supine on a bench and grasps a barbell and pushes the barbell upward in a generally vertical motion. In the dumbbell press, an exerciser lies supine on a bench, grasps dumbbells, and pushes them upward in a converging arc. In the dumbbell fly, an exerciser lies supine on a bench, and grasping dumbbells, extends his or her arms laterally outward, and moves or xe2x80x9cswingsxe2x80x9d them upward in an arc. Although these exercise motions effectively work the targeted muscles, they have certain shortcomings, including limitations on the range of exercise motion and concerns regarding safety of the exercise related to the use of free weights, often requiring an exercise partner, or xe2x80x9cspotter,xe2x80x9d to increase safety.
To overcome the limitations in exercising the upper torso using free weights, machines have been developed to simulate the above-described exercises. These machines are often configured so that the user is in an upright seated position, which is generally more comfortable. The resistance of the machines is provided either by loading the machines with weight plates, or by incorporating a weight stack into the machine that provides resistance either through the use of levers or through a pulley and cable system.
For home use, multi-exercise machines have been developed that break up various upper torso exercises into different xe2x80x9cexercise stations.xe2x80x9d For example, a chest press may be on one station on one side of the machine along with some other body exercises such as leg and or back exercises, and a chest fly may be on another station on another side of the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,091 (xe2x80x9cthe ""091 patentxe2x80x9d) describes a machine for performing converging chest presses and chest fly exercises. This machine has a main arm with a primary axis of rotation hinged from a frame and two secondary axes of rotation hinging from the main arm, wherein the secondary axes of rotation are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the primary axis. No stops are used to limit the amount of rotation of the secondary axes and no pins are used to lock the arms into place for performing fixed arc chest presses. The ""091 teaches that, by orientating the secondary axes parallel to one another and in a perpendicular relationship with the primary axis, the secondary arms fall under the force of gravity to a natural starting position for chest exercises.
The exercise machine disclosed in the ""091 patent has certain disadvantages that are overcome by the apparatus of the present invention. The machine in the ""091 patent does not include stops or a device to pin the secondary arms in a fixed relationship with the primary arm; therefore, a user is unable to perform a fixed arc chest press without lateral resistance, which makes the machine difficult to use. In addition, the lack of stops at the inner point of rotation creates the danger that the users"" hands may come in contact with each other or with the machine at the end of a chest fly motion, creating the potential for injury.
The orientation of the axis in the machine disclosed in the ""091 patent creates a chest fly exercise and converging press exercise that do not accurately simulate conventional dumbbell fly and press exercises using free weights. For example, the secondary axes are parallel to one another; therefore, at the midpoint of a chest fly exercise, the pivots approximately line up with the axes of the users"" shoulders. This causes a xe2x80x9cdead spotxe2x80x9d in the resistance profile because rotation of the shoulders in this area does not cause translation of the main arm to which the resistance is attached. After the pivots pass by the shoulder, the resistance again increases. In a dumbbell fly, the resistance is greatest at the beginning, and then reduces at a constant rate.
When performing a dumbbell fly while lying supine on a bench, the exerciser moves his or her hands through one plane. Past machines that were created to simulate this motion also moved the users"" hands through one plane by lining up the axis of rotation above or below the users"" shoulder axis of rotation. However, the orientation of the secondary pivots in the machine of the ""091 patent causes the users hands to travel through an upward arc when performing a fly exercise. This upward arc may feel abnormal to the user and adds to stress on the wrists of the user because the angle of the handles is changing throughout the arc.
Thus, for home use, where size limitations and cost considerations are important, it is advantageous to combine as many exercises into one exercise machine as possible, and it is further more desirable to combine as many exercises into a single exercise station on the exercise machine as possible. Therefore, a need exists for an exercise machine that allows an exerciser to perform a number of upper torso exercises from one station, resulting in a relatively small and low cost machine, while still maintaining the advantages and feel of traditional exercise motions, such as the bench press, the dumbbell press, and the dumbbell fly, with the added safety of performing such exercises on an exercise machine.
The purpose and advantages of the invention will be set forth in, and apparent from, the description and drawings that follow, as well as will be learned through practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the elements of the apparatus and methods of using the invention described herein.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a multi-exercise gym machine is provided that incorporates an apparatus for performing fixed arc chest presses, converging chest presses, chest fly exercises, mid rows, and rear deltoid exercises using a constant resistance profile in a single multi-exercise gym system. A main arm is connected to a frame through a primary pivot. Connected to the main arm through secondary pivots are left and right press handle assemblies having press handles. Also connected to the left and right press handles are low row handles (lower handles grasped by the user with palms facing up) and rear deltoid handles (upper handles grasped by the user with palms down and elbows up) for performing back exercises.
The left and right press handle assemblies each contain a spring pin for locking them in place and inner and outer stops for limiting travel. The main arm has a restrictor plate for each press handle assembly that has a hole that the spring pin engages and a slot that a restrictor pin on the press handle assembly engages to act as the inner and outer stops. The secondary pivots are orthogonal to the primary pivot and are angled inward toward each other with an intersection above the primary pivot when viewed from the front. This angle forces the press handles to fall inward and downward together against stops under the force of gravity in an at-rest position.
In the present invention, because the secondary pivots are angled inward, they do not line up with the pivot axis of the shoulder joint of an exerciser when he or she is performing converging presses and fly exercises. Instead, rotation of the left and right press handles translate to movement of the main arm at a constant rate, producing a constant resistance profile. The position and angle of the secondary pivots with respect to the primary pivot also allows for an approximately single plane motion when performing fly exercises because as the main arm arcs upward, the downward angle of the secondary pivots causes the press handles to move downward when brought together, essentially eliminating or greatly reducing arcing motion.
The inner stops of the exercise machine limit the travel of the press handle assemblies to just before the handles come together, protecting the user""s hands. This is similar to protection afforded the hands of an exerciser by dumbbells, which is created by the larger diameter of the weights of the dumbbells over a user""s hands grasping the axis of the dumbbell. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the addition of two sets of handles to the rear of the left and right press handle assemblies also allows the user to perform back and other exercises in addition to chest exercises.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the claims and appended drawings, as well as will be learned through the practice of the invention.